An action packed week.

This week has seen:

• Mimi's first week at pre-school
• My first full week back to work after the summer holidays
• The completion of our blackboard wall in the kitchen
• A trip to London on the train with Mimi
• Me spend WAY too much money on various things such as makeup, shoes, boots.  All necessary items.

This week Mimi started at the little pre-school in the village. She is going to go Monday and Friday mornings.  When I got home from work on Monday I asked her how playschool went and all she could say was "I cried, big tears, in my eyes".  Mike had to hang around for a while.  Each time he went towards the door she would apparently grab him.  However by Friday she seemed happier and came home with some pictures.

The lovely ladies from the group rang me to tell me that Mimi was ok and was playing with the playdoh.  However as a teacher at a secondary school where mobile phones are banned I found it difficult to speak to the nice lady on the end of the  phones as the kids were all shouting "Miss your'e not supposed to have phones in lessons".  

I was a little upset that I missed Mimi's first day at playschool. 

My first week back at work has already provided me with shed loads of marking, performance management, tracking and endless meetings.  Somewhere I am supposed to find time to plan my lessons!  Why is it when you work part time you end up working almost as hard as a full time member of staff but on less money?

My days have changed from Tues, Weds, Thurs to Mon, Tues, Fri.  I was a little bit unsure about these new days as I now no longer have a 4 day weekend, however I think I prefer the changes as I feel like I have a midweek weekend. 

We popped over for tea to Mikes parents in the week and Mimi was allowed to go up into their folly.  Don't you all just wish you grew up in a house with a folly.  I would have been in my element. 

Then on Friday evening we had my Mum, Dad and youngest brother up for dinner which was very pleasant and highly amusing.  Sometimes I wonder if a comedy should be made about some of the conversations that go on in my family. 

Amazingly the blackberries are still going so we popped out to collect some more and had blackberry and apple crumble with extra thick cream for desert. Yum!

A couple of weeks ago I was walking though our kitchen when I decided to do something about the wall of photos that were really starting to bug me.  Over time we have accumulated a large selection of photos which had been put upon the wall using Blue-Tack.  As most people know Blue-Tack either sticks forever and leaves a blue grease mark or it continuously looses it's stick.  This is what had happened with my photos, I was constantly re-sticking them and they were annoying me as all the edges had curved and looked generally messy.

BEFORE

I remembered that ages ago I had brought some magnetic black board paint for a project I was planning on doing at school.  A project that never materialised - hence the paint was still sitting on the shelf in the garage.

I carefully removed all of the photos and cleaned the wall, I then masking taped off the area and got to work with the paint.  It took 3 coats and several days to complete as I had to fit it in when Mimi was sleeping.

OUR LOVELY NEW BLACKBOARD WALL.

I am really pleased with the outcome, it has given us a great place to keep our shopping list which we can all add to as I was always writing one and loosing it and Mimi can draw on it.

So that we were able to add some of our favourite pictures and letters/notes I then made some groovy magnets using buttons.  Only problem is that the magnetics need to be quite strong as the magnetic strips I tried to make using washi tape wouldn't hold.  I got the idea for the Washi tape from How about an Orange. 

This weekend we decided to take Mimi on the train into London for the day.  

We had a fairly good day although I think that because we forget how busy it will be Mimi was confined to the buggy for most of the day so obviously she was getting fretful about it.  We also didn't really have a plan of action.  As adults it's not too traumatic wandering about but I hadn't really thought about the consequences of having a toddler in tow.  I have realised that London is not very child friendly.  I also had never realised how loud the tube is.  We wanted to go to Big Ben as Mimi is obsessed with clocks and the Big Ben at 6, but the weather didn't hold out and now I think about it I am not too sure why we didn't go and take a look.  We did however go to Harrods somewhere I have been meaning to go to for ages. 

On our way up to Picaddily Circus Mimi was excited to see the horses at Marble Arch

We then met my brother and his girlfriend for lunch and an afternoon of wandering around Covent Garden mainly taking in the sights of all the shoe shops much to Mikes annoyance although he wasn't going to say so.  

I brought some cool boots from Duo Boots who measure your calf so that the fit you.  This I find really exciting as I have seriously skinny legs (sorry) and I have never found pair to fit before.  They then post them out within 7 days.  Which is even better as I didn't have to carry them around town for the rest of the day.

When we got home Mimi did her first wee wee on the toilet.  Yippee!!!  Additionally when we were out yesterday I think Mimi is finally getting over the toilet phobia.  Yay I think we have sorted the potty training!!!